People love creativity in many forms: marketing, movies, books, and even food. You probably can’t go a day without seeing a friend post an article on their Facebook about creativity. Even back when you were a kid, who did you want to be when you grew up? Chances are you had a big imagination; the sky was the limit as to what you could do and who you could be.
However, when it comes down to turning what you imagine into reality, many people are afraid of taking a creative marketing risk. It’s safer and probably more comfortable to stick to the same strategy. But there is a correlation between creative resonance, social momentum, and sales. Proof of this can be found in the Old Spice advertising campaigns – the inception of the famous Old Spice Guy – that started in 2010.
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Creative Marketing can Create Desire
In July of 2010 Adweek reported, “According to Nielsen data… overall sales for Old Spice body-wash products were up 11 percent in the last 12 months; up 27 percent in the last six months; up 55 percent in the last three months; and in the last month, with two new TV spots and the online response videos, up a whopping 107 percent.”
That’s a lot of soap. Chances are Old Spice didn’t create the need for that much more soap, but simply took market share! That means people’ll cut your coupons if you can interest, entertain, or intrigue them. If you can do at least one of the above, you have a greater chance of building relationships with new customers, and fortifying relationships with existing customers.
What can you learn from the creative marketing of Old Spice?
1) Let the haters hate – when you take a risk, you’re going to have critics. When the Old Spice Guy debuted, critics bashed the character and the campaign, labeling them as failure. People, maybe even those on your team, might rush to judge what you’re doing but just because you might be bashed, doesn’t mean you should quit. If you believe in it and think it could be effective, try it! Failure is never an excuse to stop trying.
2) Let the fakers fake –Don’t be the one who fakes caring about what your customers want. Care about your audience, and thank them for their support. Think about them, figure out what’ll make Ethel in Cambridge, Massachusetts get up off the couch and into the store.
3) Shake it off – Contrarians to cleverness are everywhere but, like I said earlier, just because what you’re doing is tradition doesn’t make it right. Shake off the naysayers and stick to the strategy (which, I’m sure, doesn’t include the phrase “satisfy the critics.”) Your job isn’t to avoid criticism, it’s to generate buzz for a brand.
If you’re feeling like your marketing strategies have become old hat check out The Marketing Moment. We discussed why thinking outside the box and being creative are important to marketing professionals. Watch the episode below:
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